Wednesday 8 April 2009

Passion in Poetry


I don't often post poetry but this one got me with its pure passion. It's by Sara Teasdale, an American poet from St Louis Missouri (August 8, 1884 – January 29, 1933). She won the Pulitzer prize and I had never heard of her before. In a worrying poetic tradition, she commited suicide.

I am not yours

I am not yours, not lost in you,
Not lost, although I long to be
Lost as a candle lit at noon,
Lost as a snowflake in the sea.

You love me, and I find you still
A spirit beautiful and bright,
Yet I am I, who long to be
Lost as a light is lost in light.

Oh plunge me deep in love - put out
My senses, leave me deaf and blind,
Swept by the tempest of your love,
A taper in a rushing wind.

Lost as a snowflake in the sea. Makes you shiver that simile, doesn't it.

3 comments:

Colm Keegan said...

Cool. Frosty even...

fiona said...

Ah, Sara Teasdale. I like her a lot. Here's a personal favourite:

The Look

Strephon kissed me in the spring,
Robin in the fall,
But Colin only looked at me
And never kissed at all.

Strephon's kiss was lost in jest,
Robin's lost in play,
But the kiss in Colin's eyes
Haunts me night and day.

Also (apologies for really long comment) this, which explains some things:

Alone

I am alone, in spite of love,
In spite of all I take and give—
In spite of all your tenderness,
Sometimes I am not glad to live.

I am alone, as though I stood
On the highest peak of the tired gray world,
About me only swirling snow,
Above me, endless space unfurled;

With earth hidden and heaven hidden,
And only my own spirit's pride
To keep me from the peace of those
Who are not lonely, having died.

Incidentally, this is Fiona of Pursued by a Bear, but it only lets me post a comment as a google blogger. Any way you can change it to the Name, URL option that so many blogs have? Just a thought. . .

Emerging Writer said...

Thanks fiona/pursued by bear. I'm trying comments set to 'registered users'. Try making another comment and let me know if it works. cheers